Rating: NNN
The debut album from British electronic foursome Rudimental makes you want to sweat it out in the clubs, or maybe on a spin bike. Certainly there are similarities to other UK electro acts (Disclosure in particular), but also nuances that make it unique: exploratory moments in which Rudimental are like foley artists using indecipherable percussion, jazzy brass flourishes, or somehow seamlessly making one song (Not Giving In) sound like four.
Mostly, we get soulful singing undercut with thundering drum and bass. Occasionally there is rapping or welcome slowed-down dips into dubstep. A who’s who of buzzy English vocalists feature standouts Feel The Love (with John Newman) and Powerless (Becky Hill) mix mushy-gushy lyrics with that peppy drum/bass. It’s an evocative combo that makes you feel like you could pull an only-in-the-chewing-gum-commericals move like walking into a crowded place and pulling the object of your affection into an impassioned embrace. At times, those love ballads veer into over-the-top Leona Lewis territory (Emeli Sandé’s More Than Anything) that only the Brits, it seems, can get away with.
Top track: Feel The Love
